Hotel Chocolat Rather Large Christmas Cracker

I actually reviewed a similar one of these crackers five years ago, but I thought it would be interesting to write about this year’s version of the Hotel Chocolat Rather Large Christmas Cracker to see how it compared.

The most noticeable thing about this is that it really is rather large. At 65cm (over 2 feet) in length, it’s a good job it comes in a box with a carrying handle, because it really would be quite difficult to transport otherwise. And yes, it still looks like you’re carrying some kind of weapon when you’re walking down the street with it.

The sheer size of the thing also means it’s quite difficult to photograph, which is why I’ve used the official product shot as well. We generally like to use our own photos rather than marketing images so you get a better idea of what the product looks like in the real world. In this case, even the official photos don’t really do it justice.

Of course, being a Christmas cracker, only the central portion is filled, but you do still get a hefty 450g of chocolate inside.

You might be expecting this just to be a giant cracker-shaped box of chocolates, but it is actually a functioning Christmas cracker, complete with banger. I strongly suggest you don’t pull it over the Christmas dinner table though, as there are 40 chocolates, 12 party hats and an envelope filled with (very bad) Christmas jokes inside.

The chocolates are wrapped in pairs, and as with the previous version we reviewed, there’s a lot of alcoholic chocolates in there. The good thing is that they are clearly marked, so you can easily pick your favourite flavours out or avoid the alcohol without having to open every chocolate.

The chocolates are typical Hotel Chocolat. They might not compare with the fresh chocolates you buy from your local chocolatier, but they’re pleasant enough and packed with interesting flavours. I’m not going to review each one as there’s far too many and I may not survive trying every single flavour. If you’ve ever had a box of Hotel Chocolat chocolates, you’ll know what to expect.

The cracker costs £38 which isn’t cheap, but it is a fun alternative to more conventional individual Christmas crackers and can make a great centrepiece decoration. With the contents being shared, there’s no arguing over who gets the most interesting toy inside their cracker, which is a definite plus. On the downside, the cracker jokes are just as bad. I’ll spare you those.

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